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I agree totally that it is a mega head-banging experience attempting to convince others ... but let's not lose sight of the fact that if Mark and other pioneers hadn't cared, most of us wouldn't be here and wouldn't have seen the progress that we have made so far.

But those who come to read the blogs and research are looking for the information. I think the topic is more about the people who are either clueless or don't care about nutrition. The ones who don't know something is wrong, and don't think they're doing harm. Trying to tell them about it is what we've given up on. Providing information to those who are willing to absorb it is much different than screaming it on the rooftops. We've stopped screaming it on the rooftops.

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People seem to get the idea of it making sense that this was the way we ate for "millenia" ...and if you explain all the pre agriculture crap people will usually think it makes sense and go "huh, wow - i never thought of it that way". But yea...same thing. I used to be excited about it, like I wanted to share it with everyone. I am a huge book nerd too. I read anything i can get my hands on, that's educational. Shopenhauer, Nietzsche, The Primal Blueprint; lol. Yeah I don't give a crap either, I don't think I really gave a crap about it earlier, either...but I was just excited and when we are excited we want to share what we care about with those we love, are close to. When they come crashing down on it (which they usually do..as its hard for people to be excited about something that doesn't pertain to them) it never feels good.

So I totally feel your pain, OP. IDK. I said f*ck it. That's why I come here...so I can share with like minded people and be excited with them.

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But those who come to read the blogs and research are looking for the information. I think the topic is more about the people who are either clueless or don't care about nutrition. The ones who don't know something is wrong, and don't think they're doing harm. Trying to tell them about it is what we've given up on. Providing information to those who are willing to absorb it is much different than screaming it on the rooftops. We've stopped screaming it on the rooftops.

I agree that we should give up on closed-mind types who are certainly the majority, and that there's absolutely nothing we can do to change the proportion of open-minded types in the general population.

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Husband and I have always been the "skinny" ones, so that makes it even more difficult to tell people about what we eat or how we exercise. People give me that look, you know... "Bitch whatthefuckyoutalkinabout?! Never been fat in your life so shut up!" Same as giving people advice on raising children when you are childless. Reception is quite poor, whaddya know.

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Loving these responses. It makes me really happy to see the consensus that we're being modest about our eating habits, and not so preachy as other diets.

I'm gonna throw something else out there I was thinking. Perhaps one of the main problems is something Wolf mentioned: "there's no elevator spiel for a primal or paleo way of life."

This is primarily true. The specifics and reasoning of eating this way, while it can have some evolutionary context, has this rabbit hole of biochemistry and endocrinology that is the insta-brick wall in many a conversation.

Start mentioning insulin, leptin, lectin, gut permeability, cholesterol, PUFA's...dude, even the word "macronutrient" can throw people for a spin. And we all know these words are for the layman primal eater. Try asking a CW follower to read a bit of Archevore or Hyperlipid...

There's so much to learn, if someone starts meeting resistance just as a debate gets rolling on grains, I literally feel like it's a lost cause. They're too sunk in ignorance and disinterest to understand. I also feel weird saying this, as it paints me as feeling superior by calling others ignorant. Not the case. It just is what it is.

But still, there are times when I would give a lot just for the chance to help someone. I have a friend who suffers from crippling stomach pain she's had since childhood. She's on a special program at her school that permits her to have extra sick days. When I see her get a stomach pain, I'll see her shake and and choke on her words as if something is tearing her up on the inside. She has so many health problems on top of this.

And yet I can't do a damn thing, and I don't think I need to explain why at this point.

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Even doing this a couple months, I hate to even talk about it... people are so interested in how I have slimmed down until I tell them how and then I get the look... followed by the lecture... it's easy to get really annoyed.

That said I saw some guy literally drop dead this week. Fell straight back, cracked his head on the floor, eyes wide open, non-responsive to CPR. He was MAYBE in his 50's. I am going to go out on a limb and guess his diet was CW... hard to not care when you see something like that. I don't want that to be anyone I know.

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I tend to focus on what I do eat rather than what I don't. I've been looking at the issue of mineral deficiencies and was talking to my step mother about it (ex district nurse). She wondered whether it was my restrictive diet. I offered to add in any food that she thought I might be missing (except wheat and bread as I have a sensitivity to it anyway). I started listing my food: meat, fish, eggs, cheese, vegetables, fruit, nuts..... She wasn't able to come up with anything that I should add in. Point made.

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I was surprised when my mother jumped on board and only cooks Paleo in her home now. She gave none in her home a option, my stepfather had to go cold turkey overnight, and he was the type that put ketchup on everything; poor guy! Lol

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The annoying part for me is that I have folks freak out at my saying I don't do carbs much. Lard-butts shoveling in awful things into their mouths and acting like I'm the weird one... life's just too funny sometimes.

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I don't remember when I first heard of Primal/paleo. I have a friend who has mentioned things to me several times over the last couple of years. I started reading MDA at some point and then in June I asked to borrow her Primal Blueprint books.

I did completely eliminate grains for a month, but found it really hard and didn't notice any benefits (other than some weight loss, but that was an unintended side-effect). I have severe mood cycles and other things going on, so it may be a bit much to expect diet alone to make a difference in a short time. I'm still working on maintaining a healthy diet on a regular basis.

For some of us, it does take longer to sink in. And I'm happy that my friend volunteered the info without my asking otherwise I would have never have known.

I believe in Primal/paleo and I know I am still more preachy than I should be (trying to put the info out there and then let it go, but not always succeeding). DH has actually started down his own path about the same time that I started down this path. He has started running and is now considering a marathon. He doesn't agree with me about diet, especially since I don't completely practice what I preach. Bread is a staple in his diet. But he does receive the MDA newsletter, so at least I know the information is available to him and now I have to learn to let him make his own choices.

I have my youngest child (13yo) reading labels now. She is always asking questions and really likes to eat what I cook. Now, if I could just break the cycle so that I have the energy and motivation to cook more often, I'd be better off. My mother listens and shows interest in the changes I am making, but says that there is no way she could give up grains.

So on topic, my goal is to volunteer info while trying not to mention it so often that I come off as preachy.

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I don't remember when I first heard of Primal/paleo. I have a friend who has mentioned things to me several times over the last couple of years. I started reading MDA at some point and then in June I asked to borrow her Primal Blueprint books.

I did completely eliminate grains for a month, but found it really hard and didn't notice any benefits (other than some weight loss, but that was an unintended side-effect). I have severe mood cycles and other things going on, so it may be a bit much to expect diet alone to make a difference in a short time. I'm still working on maintaining a healthy diet on a regular basis.

For some us, it does take longer to sink in. And I'm happy that my friend volunteered the info without my asking otherwise I would have never have known.

I believe in Primal/paleo and I know I am still more preachy than I should be (trying to put the info out there and then let it go, but not always succeeding). DH has actually started down his own path about the same time that I started down this path. He has started running and is now considering a marathon. He doesn't agree with me about diet, especially since I don't completely practice what I preach. Bread is a staple in his diet. But he does receive the MDA newsletter, so at least I know the information is available to him and now I have to learn to let him make his own choices.

I have my youngest child (13yo) reading labels now. She is always asking questions and really likes to eat what I cook. Now, if I could just break the cycle so that I have the energy and motivation to cook more often, I'd be better off. My mother listens and shows interest in the changes I am making, but says that there is no way she could give up grains.

So on topic, my goal is to volunteer info while trying not to mention it so often that I come off as preachy.

I kind of get where you're coming from. My personal advice would be to focus on yourself and get all the odds and ends squared away (like preparing meals and finding things you like that are fast and easy). It's a funky transition, but you'll find a medium ground I promise. It's taken me about a year to really figure it all out, and I'm still a work in progress.